SEATTLE — Lower than three hours earlier than first pitch Thursday, a big group of Yankees arrived within the visiting clubhouse that also had a stench of low cost champagne and beer from the evening earlier than.
The Yankees had secured the American League’s first playoff berth on Wednesday evening, however nonetheless had work to be completed in making an attempt to clinch the division as nicely.
That pursuit stalled for a day because the Mariners robust pitching lastly received out to keep away from a sweep because the Yankees fell 3-2 at T-Cellular Park.
With the Orioles lastly profitable a recreation earlier on Thursday, the Yankees lead atop the AL East received in the reduction of to 4 video games with 9 video games left to play.
Their magic quantity to clinch the division stayed at six.
The Yankees (89-64) went simply 1-for-12 with runners in scoring place towards right-hander Logan Gilbert and the Mariner bullpen.
They stranded eight runners on base and their solely supply of offense was a two-run dwelling run from Jazz Chisholm Jr. within the third inning off Gilbert.
The day appeared prefer it may get much more painful within the seventh inning when Juan Soto had an damage scare after banging his left knee into the wall whereas making a terrific sliding catch in foul territory.
Soto tossed his glove and stayed on the bottom in ache as Aaron Boone, two trainers and a handful of place gamers got here to test on him.
However Soto ultimately remained within the recreation to keep away from a doomsday state of affairs, although the Yankees did lose reliever Jake Cousins an inning earlier as he left the sport with proper pec tightness.
Jasson Dominguez had an enormous hand — the left one, particularly — within the Mariners taking a 3-0 lead on Clarke Schmidt within the first inning.
Julio Rodriguez, who was picked off third base within the tenth inning Wednesday after dancing away from the bag to keep away from Randy Arozarena’s flying bat, led off with a single earlier than Schmidt issued a one-out stroll.
Luke Raley got here up subsequent and laid down a bunt that Schmidt tried to make a sliding play on however couldn’t deal with cleanly, resulting in a single that loaded the bases.
Justin Turner then roped a fly ball to left area that ought to have been the second out.
As a substitute, Dominguez dropped it after probably dropping the ball within the solar (Arozarena had hassle selecting up just a few fly balls in left area later within the recreation), permitting the Mariners to take a 1-0 lead.
Jorge Polanco adopted with a sacrifice fly earlier than JP Crawford poked a single by the left aspect to make it 3-0.
The fielding gaffe was Dominguez’s second in as many days.
Taking part in heart area on Wednesday, he misjudged a fly ball from Turner because it dropped 10 ft behind him on the warning observe for a double.
Dominguez tried to make up for Thursday’s error within the subsequent half inning as he led off the highest of the second with a double to the hole.
Two outs later, Anthony Volpe shot a single by the suitable aspect, with Raley fielding the ball in proper area earlier than Dominguez stepped on third.
However third base coach Luis Rojas waved Dominguez round, and Raley delivered a robust one-hop throw to catcher Cal Raleigh for the third out of the inning.
